Benton Institute for Broadband & Society released a report recommending where and how farms need broadband. The report, titled “The Future of American Farming: Broadband Solutions for the Farm Office, Field and Community,” is sponsored by the United Soybean Board. According to Telecompetitor, the report outlines how farmers need broadband for profitability, sustainability, and environmental impact.
The report’s author, Jordan Arnold, notes, “connected technologies allow farmers to measure their inputs and outputs, creating opportunities for smarter, more efficient resource management.” The adoption of precision agriculture technology, including access to and better use of data, has powerful benefits for farmers’ bottom line and environmental impact.
Telecompetitor reported that connectivity could benefit farmers by enabling connected sensors to measure soil moisture to improve irrigation systems and reduce water consumption. Weather sensors can predict frost and storm patterns, and biosensors can track cows’ ovulation cycles to boost pregnancy rates.
However, most farms lack the 100 Mbps symmetrical service recommended to support these applications. According to the USDA, only 16 percent of farms had cable broadband, and only 12 percent had fiber broadband – the two technologies capable of providing 100 Mbps symmetrical service.
According to the report, connectivity must extend beyond rural farmers’ homes and offices into fields and farming structures (grain silos, barns, etc.). The Benton report quotes one farmer who notes that farmers are “not in an office, sitting on a computer all day. They have to have the information on their phones, and they have to have it now.”
The report also calls out that farmers face broadband barriers, including slow speeds, high costs, unreliable service, and monopolies regarding market competition. Benton’s research shows that only 82 percent of farms have internet service in any form. Also, there’s a disproportionate lack of service to minority-owned farms. On average, 70 percent of Hispanic-operated farms, 66 percent of American Indian– or Alaska Native-owned farms, and 62 percent of Black-owned farms have internet access.
Telecompetitor reported the Benton report makes a range of policy recommendations for improving broadband connectivity for farms. Some suggestions include encouraging deep fiber build-out, addressing gaps in mapping, supporting open-access middle-mile networks that bring fiber to rural communities, and more.
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